Compressor with compressed air reactive drive



July 12, 1960 A. M. CADDELL 2,944,730

COMPRESSOR WITH COMPRESSED AIR REACTIVE DRIVE Original Filed April 11 1956 IN V EN TOR.

v 4 Claims. (01130- 127) This application is a division taken from pendingapplication entitled Centrifugal Fluid Compressor With Axial Delivery, filed April 11, 1956, Serial No. 577,567. 7

Fig. 1 is a composite, frontal view of a rotor assembly taken on the lines 1-1, Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is'a cross-sectional view of the rotor shown in Fig. 1. l

Fig. 3 is a view, taken on the lines 3 -3, Fig; 1, showing in cross section the concave-concave vane structures employed in the rotor and the air-flow relation of each vane structure to the other. I a v Fig. 4 is an enlarged side view of a single vane structure, such as those shown frontally in Fig. 1. This view shows the canopy of the discs rim section spanning the attack side of the vanes.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged exposed top view of asection of the disc taken on the lines 5-5, Fig. 2, showing the vianes isshown in Fig. 3, arrows 6 indicating how the air deflects from 3B-into 3A of the vane following next,

. 2,944,730 Patented July 12, 196Q in rotation. v

7 Upon being rotated, the attack side of the-vanes becomesapowe'rful centrifugal pump, throwing air into chambers 7 in rim section 4A ofthe disc. These chambers, which are formed at a right'a ngle relative tothe vane structures, have comparatively large receiving areas which] span pumping :vanes 3A at their radial ends. whereupon said chambers become progressively reduced in cross section as they obliquely traverse the rim section of the disc. This disc carries annular plate 20 which, in turn,;carries a plurality of nozzles zlthrough which the compressed air is discharged in a direction opposite to that of rotation, By reducing the cross sectional area of the chambers, compression pressure in the air is trans-. formed into velocity pressure prior to its discharge from the nozzles, thereby increasing reactive drive effect. *Arrows 28, Fig.6, indicate the opposite-to-rotation directional discharge of the gas, while arrow 29 shows direction of rotation of the disc. r r

' Casing 1 is of divided construction, each half thereof being secured tothe other by bolts 27 at flanges 1A of each half.

I As shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, disc 4 has a divided construction 'mainly for accurately forming chambers 7 chambered head in the rim of thedisc and nozzles pro- 7 truding from a flange secured to said head. 7

' Fig. 6 is a composite rear view of the compressor, taken on the lines 6-6, Fig. 2. 7

Fig. 7 is a three-quarter partial view of the ring of stator formations, taken on the lines 7 7, Fig.1.

Fig. 8 is a side view of the stator receiving and defiect ing blade formations, identified as -22, Figs. 1', 2,.7, 8 and9.

4 Fig. 9 is-a, threeduarterkview of single statorblade" ow g r un -l' k ma n a q e r wx" tions thereof. I jThe principahditferences between the rotor described in Serial No. 577,567 and that, described herein lies in the configuration of the vanes and the chambered section of the-disc that carries-the vanes. The .trailinghalf ofthe vane structures illustrated in thependingease and those shown in this application deflect air into thevane following next in rotation. .But instead of hoods capping which extend through rim section 4A. Each half has spline notchesAB on their inner sides for mating and stress-supporting purposes, after which said walls are secured to each other by a plurality of screw bolts 5, shown in'dottecl outline in Figs. 2 and 4, p

Vane structures 3 protrude forwardly in their central areas to increase their air-attacking and air-deflecting capacity and to minimize shock of the air attack, after which said structures ble d radially to parallel the walls of the disc. Short arrows 8indicate the ultimate radial flow of the pumped air intoreceiving .chambers 7 which span the tops of the vanes.,latt acking sides; Vane structures may .be secured 4A by welding means,

as at 9, Fig

' The, deflect ng sidesiiB' of these structures overcome to V a great extent the vacuous drag that would otherwise trail intheiwake of the'vanes as they move through the'air. Also, uponthe compressor moving forward through air, the v encountered 'air pressure impinges forcibly upon the 3B" surfaces,- which pressure translates instantly into powerful reactive drive]. If this compressor is'mounted in an aircraft, upon the craft attaining a forward speed of 375 .the' attack'side of the vanes, as in the pending application, the presently described disc has a rim structure that carries a plurality of chambers which receive the radially pumped air from thevanes. -Whereupon the air, as Well as being compressed in the chamber, is turned at a right .angle relative to the vanes and discharged obliquely therefrom in a direction opposite to that of rotation. This discharge occurs at the maximum leverage position inthe disc, thereby contributing greatly toreac- To trace the flow of i vane structures 3 of'r'oto'rtfi The; construction and interrelation of these vane structures may be observed. by referring to the cros s sectional view in Fig. 3. The numi a w 3A tident fiesthe at ask, Qr'rim P g side of h 1 V v through this compressor: Air ,enters the confines of easing 1 as indicated by a plurality 'of arrows 2, Fig. 2, and strikes against concave-concave milesper hour, the ram pressure imparted by the en-v countered air 'is so great that little or no power from w an engine is required to supply the needed poundage of being secured in position on the shaft'by keys 25 and 26, respectively .and locked in position by locknuts 13 ,andl14. "The bearing assemblies are, in turn, mounted in .vanes,3.B t e deflectin de a d??? t e Base Party O t the'hubs of the" forward and rear open framework spider assemblies 15 and 16 which are secured at their radial extremities to casing 1 by suitable means;

. L Plate 17,' which -is positioned between'open framework assembly 15 and" within 'closeproximity'to disc 4, is-

mounted annularly around and secured to the inner wall of'c'asing 1 by screw bolts 18, and to framework 15 by screw bolts 19. In addition to lending strength to the compressor assembly, plate 17 deflects air into the vanes for V reactive drive and pumping purposes.

Annular plate 21 is secured in a recess in the discharge side of disc 4, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. This plate holds a-plural-ity of nozzles 21, theentranceends of which abut chamber orifices 7A, thus permitting acontinuous flow of air therethrough. By means of this plate insert,- nozzles having different performance characteristics may be installed for determining'the most eflic 'ient design.

Upon being discharged from nozzles 21, the compressed air strikes a ring of stator formations 22, shown in Fig.- 2 and as separate views in Figs. 7, 8 and 9. While reactive drive brought into being by virtue of the compressed air being discharged in a direction opposite to that of rotation is just as powerful Without a stator formation being employed, the formation herein described turnsthe air in an axial direction immediately upon its impingement thereagainst.

*At will be noted by viewing Figs. 8' and 9, the compressed air strikes a cup-like curvature in the forward part of the stator formation and deflects it as per arrows 23, 'Fig. 8, against the reverse or underside of a preceding formation, causing the air to undergo rapid transformation from an opposite-to-rotation direction to an axial direction. As shown in Figs. 2 and 6, after being deflected into the desired direction by said stator formations, the air enters ducts 24 to be conveyed thereby to any desired destination.

v By means of this invention it is felt that the large frontal area handicaps associated with present-day centrifugal compressors may be overcome; also that the added efliciency made possible by preventing the formation of power-consuming vacuum drag, harnessing ram pressure of air to assist in the compressors rotation, obtaming reactive drive in the vane part of the structures by powerful deflection of air, and obtaining reactive drive by discharging the compressed air through diverging nozzles in a direction opposite to that of rotation, will greatly minimize the power required to obtain the needed poundage of air for eificient gas turbine use.

Having described my invention, I claim;

1. In a centrifugal fluid compressor, an outer casing open at its forward end to form anintake duct for air, a rotor rotatably supported in said casing for compressing air radially and discharging it in adirection opposite to that of rotation, a ring of stator blades mounted in close proximityto said rotor and in communication 4 4 protruding outwardly from said plate, the wall of said nozzles being curved in a direction opposite to that of the rotation of said rotor, said nozzles communicating with said chamber and having outlet ends discharging in a direction opposite to that of the rotation of the rotor.

2. In a disc as describedin claim 1, a plurality of chambers formed in the rinrsection thereof, the Walls comprising said chambers having a rounded contour immediately radial to the peripheral end of said blades for receiving air centrifuged thereagainst and deflecting it therewithin and into said nozzles to be discharged therefrom in a direction opposite to that of rotation of said rotor.

3. In a centrifugal fluid compressor for compressing air radially and discharging it axially from within its confines at substantially the maximum radius thereof, an outer casing open to atmosphere and adapted to move forward thereth'rough, a disc mounted for rotation in said casing, said disc having a rear wall, a forward Wall and a rim section extending forwardly therefrom to form a canopy, a plurality of recesses formed in said forward wall, an equivalent number of concavo-concave structures having bases fitting said recesses and projecting forwardly therefrom into free air, said structures having a side advancing in the direction of rotation and a side trailing-relative tothe direction of rotation of said disc, said advancing side having a curvature for pumping air radially and said trailing side a curvature for deflecting with the discharge of said air therefrom for deflecting said air axially within said compressor, said rotor being comprised of a disc and a plurality of concavo-concave structures, said disc having a rear wall, a forward wall and a rim section extending forwardly therefrom to form a canopy, a plurality of recesses formed in the forward wall, said convavo-concave structures having base sections mounted in said recesses, said structures projecting forwardly from said bases into free air, one side thereof having a concave blade for pumping air radially as it advances in the direction of rotation and the other side having a curved formation for deflecting air from the back of said pumping blade into the pumping blade following next in rotation, each of said structures terminating short of said canopy and being made secure thereto, chambers formed in said canopy for receiving air pumped by said blades, said chambers continuing diagonally through said rim section to the rear wall of said discs to form a channel having a lesser gross sectional dimension at its terminus than that portion of the chamber immediately radial to said 'pumping' blade, an annular recess formed in the rear wall of said disc inwardly of its periphery, a plate formed to fit ram pressure air encountered in the forward movement of said casing into the pumping side of the structure advancing next in rotation, an equivalent'number'of chambers formed in said canopy immediately radial to said pumping side and communicating therewith, said chamber walls diagonally traversing said rim section and having progressively decreasing cross sectional areas extending toward said rear wall, a plurality of nozzles of diverging cross section mounted in said rear wall and having communication with said areas, a stator blade formation having a plurality of blades mounted on the inner wall of said casing, encompassing and communicating with said nozzles and being positioned in close proximity to said disc, said nozzles projecting outward- 1y from the rear wall of said disc and curving to parallel the outer side thereof and discharging said air in a direction opposite to that of rotation against'the blades of said stator formation. p 7 I V 4. In a centrifugal compressor as described inclaim 3, said stator blades having a semi-cup formation for receiving thereagainst in a direction opposite to that of the discs rotation the discharge of air from said nozzles, said blades thereafter having a curving configuration that blends with said semi-cup formation and extends rearwardly to parallel the axis of said disc, the surface of the configuration of one blade comprising in conjunction with the opposite surface of the configuration of a neighbor blade a channel for directing axially the air striking said semi-cup formation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

